The present invention relates generally to a mounting system for an air conditioner.
Air conditioners are oftentimes mounted in or adjacent to a window for the room such that at least a portion of the air conditioner is located outside of the room while the air conditioner is operating in order to prevent hot air associated with the condenser from entering the room that is being cooled. Many air conditioners are too large for them to merely rest on the window sill, with the partially closed window holding the air conditioner in place. Therefore, various types of mounting systems have been suggested in the art.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,816, a bracket arrangement is disclosed that attaches, such as with screws, to the exterior window sill, and rests upon a strut pressed against the exterior siding of the building below the window. A variety of spacer blocks and vibration absorbing blocks are involved in the bracket arrangement. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,758,456, a bracket arrangement is disclosed that attaches to the interior window sill, such as by screws, and also rests upon a strut pressed against the exterior siding of the building below the window. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,139, a bracket arrangement is disclosed that clamps to an interior portion of the window sill, and also rests upon a strut pressed against the exterior siding of the building below the window. In each of these mounting systems, the bracket arrangements are installed prior to the air conditioner being placed on the bracket arrangement, and the air conditioner, in use, is positioned in the window opening, partially extending exterior of the room, and partially extending into the room. Also, in each case, to close the window fully or winterize the window, the air conditioner is required to be removed and stored in some other location.
U.S. Patent No. 4,510,852 discloses a mounting assembly for a room air conditioner that attaches on the inside of the room, above the window, and holds the air conditioner inside the room, until the air conditioner is to be used. At that point, the air conditioner is rolled on the mounting assembly to a position where it partially extends outside of the window by overhanging a portion of the mounting assembly. With this mounting assembly, the room air conditioner must be lifted to the elevated position of the upper window of a double hung window, and slid into an opening of the support frame. This mounting arrangement is useful only with double hung windows.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,543,533, 3,548,611, 3,552,139 and 3,602,006 all disclose a mounting arrangement for an air conditioner in which the operating components of the air conditioner depend along an outside building wall below a window, with a main body of the air conditioner projecting up into the window opening space. The air conditioner is attached to the window sill by screws and rests against the exterior siding of the building on a horizontal support foot. To install the air conditioner, either the installation takes place from the exterior of the building, if installed in a first floor window, or the person installing the air conditioner must blindly align a flanged support member with a channeled receiving track that is attached to a sill of the window opening.
It would be an improvement in the art if a mounting system were provided for an air conditioner that would address the problems of the prior art.